Finally...

Finally, this has been what I’ve been truly waiting for; the Psalms set to modern music from Sovereign Grace music. Don’t get me wrong, I like and think much of modern praise and worship music and modern hymns too, as much of it is biblical and holds value. Likewise, there is much to be said for the “traditional” style of singing the Psalms.
However, modern praise music, sung in the 7-11 mode (7 verses repeated 11 times –a Derek Thomas term) is often just sentimentality and can lack deep biblical truth. The traditional style is often painful to sing with its odd word order and out-of–date tunes usually sung without the accompaniment of instruments (I’m not convinced of that argument, either). Hence I think these modern versions of the Psalms are a great improvement. Have a listen here and you can download the lyrics as well.

(HT: BTW)

On Humor...

There is no one part of a man’s constitution, which is really a part of his manhood, which should not praise God. Ay, even the sense of humour should be sanctified to the service of the Most High! - C.H. Spurgeon

Westminster Wednesday #91

Ques. How do the sacraments become effectual means of salvation? Ans. The sacraments become effectual means of salvation, not from any virtue in them, or in him that doth administer them, but only by the blessing of Christ, and the working of his Spirit in them that by faith receive them.

Q. 1. How, negatively, are the sacraments not effectual means of salvation?A. The sacraments, negatively — 1. Are not effectual means of salvation, by any virtue in themselves, to confer grace and salvation upon all the receivers, and by the work done, or bare receiving of them; for many may and do partake of the sacraments who are vithout true grace, and have no share in the salvation of the gospel. "And Simon himself was baptized. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee: thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter; for thy heart is not right in the sight of God; for I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity."— Acts 8:13, 20, 21, 23. "Whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord "— 1 Cor. 11:27. 2. The sacraments are not effectual means of salvation through the intention of, or by any virtue in them that do administer them, there being no power in the most holy ministers themselves to give grace and to bring salvation unto any by their administration of the sacraments, or any other ordinance. "So, then, neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase."— 1 Cor. 3:7.
Q. 2. How, positively, are the sacraments effectual means of salvation?A. The sacraments positively are effectual means of salvation— 1. By the blessing and presence of Christ, which do accompany the sacraments and other ordinances of his own institution. "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." — Matt. 18:20. "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, lam with you aiway, even unto the end of the world."— Matt. 228:20 2. By the working of the Spirit (the effect and evidence of Christ's blessing and presence), whereby Christ doth put life, and virtue, and efficacy into his sacraments and ordinances, without which they would be wholly dead, and altogether ineffectual. "For by one Spirit are we all haptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit."— 1 Cor. 12:13.
Q. 3. In whom doth the Spirit by the sacraments work effectually unto salvation?A. The Spirit by the sacraments doth not work effectually unto the salvanon of all that receive them, but of all that by faith receive them. - Thomas Vincent

Image Credit

Heart-Work is Hard Work

Heart-work is hard work, indeed. To shuffle over religious duties with a loose and needless spirit will cost no great pains, but to set yourself before the Lord, and tie up your loose and vain thoughts to a constant and serious attendance upon him, will cost you something. To attain a facility and dexterity of language in prayer and put your meaning into apt and descent expressions is easy; but to get your heart broken for sin while you are confessing it and melted with free grace while you are blessing God for it, to be really ashamed and humble through the apprehensions of God's infinite holiness, and to keep your heart in this frame not only in, but after duty will surely cost you some groans and travailing pain of soul. - John Flavel from Keeping the Heart.

Our lives as Christians are no walk in the park as Flavel here points out. It is hard work and takes much thought and great pains all the day to persevere. May I encourage you to read John Flavel's, Keeping The Heart. Digest it, savor it and apply it to your own life. It is a great encouragement to me and I often refer back to it to be reminded and strenghtened what the Word says about keeping the heart (Prov. 4:23).

Westminster Wednesday #90

Once again dear friends.....

Q90. How is the word to be read and heard, that it may become effectual to salvation?
A. That the word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation, and prayer; receive it with faith and love; lay it up in our hearts, and practise it in our lives.

Q. 1 What has God enjoined upon us, in order to our reading and hearing his word in a right manner?
A. That we attend thereunto; that we receive it; and that we lay it up in our hearts, and practise it in our lives.
Q. 2. What is it to attend to the reading and hearing of the word?
A. It is to make the reading and hearing of it the main business of our life; to have it mostly at heart, because the word contains "that good part which shall not be taken away," Luke 10:42.
Q. 3. How ought we to attend to, or set about the reading and hearing of the word?
A. With diligence, preparation, and prayer.
Q. 4. What do you understand by attending to the word with diligence?
A. A careful observing and embracing every seasonable opportunity, that may offer in providence, for reading and hearing the same, Prov. 8:34.
Q. 5. What preparation should we make for reading and hearing the word?
A. We should consider, that the word has the authority of God stamped upon it, 2 Tim. 3:16; that it is he himself who speaks to us in it, Heb. 12:25; that it is his ordinance for our salvation, John 5:39; and will be the savour either of life or death to us, 2 Cor. 2:16.
Q. 6. Why is prayer requisite for reading and hearing the word in a right manner?
A. Because as it is God alone, and none else, who can dispose our hearts for the right performance of those religious exercises, so he ought always to be addressed and supplicated for that end, Psalm 119:18.
Q. 7. What should we pray for, when setting about the reading and hearing of the word?
A. That it may be "the power of God unto our salvation," Rom. 1:16; or an effectual means in his hand for convincing, converting, and edifying our souls, John 6:63.
Q. 8. What is our immediate duty, when we are actually engaged in reading or hearing of the word?
A. Our immediate duty, in that case, is to receive it.
Q. 9. What is it to receive the word?
A. It is, with all readiness of mind, to take it in, as the dictates of the Holy Ghost to our souls, Acts 17:11.
Q. 10. Why is the right improvement of the word, in time of reading and hearing of it, called a receiving it?
A. Because we can reap no real benefit to our souls, by the offer and exhibition of all the blessings that are brought nigh to us in it, unless we receive them as God's free gift to us, John 3:27.
Q. 11. How are we to receive the word, and all the good that is in it?
A. With faith and love.
Q. 12. When is the word received with faith, in time of reading and hearing of it?
A. When there is an application of it to the soul in particular, in a suitableness to the state and case of the person, and the nature of the word, whether in a way of promise, Lam. 3:24, or threatening, Psalm 119:120.
Q. 13. How may a person know if he receives the word with faith?
A. By the quickening, Psalm 119:50, enlightening, ver. 130, sanctifying, ver. 9, and strengthening effect of it, Dan. 10:19.
Q. 14. What is the native consequence of receiving the word with faith?
A. A receiving it also with love; for "faith worketh by love," Gal. 5:6.
Q. 15. How may our receiving the word with love be discerned?
A. When our affections are drawn out to the blessed truths and objects revealed in it; so as to esteem them more than "thousands of gold and silver," Psalm 119:72, or even than our "necessary food," Job 23:12.
Q. 16. What improvement ought we to make of the word after reading or hearing of it?
A. We should lay it up in our hearts, and practise it in our lives.
Q. 17. What do you understand by the heart, where the word should be laid up?
A. The soul, with all its faculties, Prov. 23:26; the understanding, to know the word; the will to comply with it; the affections to love it; and the memory to retain it.
Q. 18. What is implied in laying up the word in our hearts?
A. That we account it the most valuable treasure, Psalm 119:127; that we keep it with the utmost care, ver. 11; and that we resolve to use it in all the future exigencies of our souls, ver. 24.
Q. 19. How may we know if the word is really laid up in our hearts?
A. By our delighting to meditate upon it, Psalm 119:97; by the Spirit's bringing it to our remembrance, John 14:26; and by our habitual desire of farther conformity and subjection unto it, Psalm 119:5.
Q. 20. For what end should we lay up the word in our hearts?
A. That we may practise it in our lives.
Q. 21. What is it to practise the word in our lives?
A. It is to have a conversation becoming the gospel, Phil. 1:27; or to have both the outward and inward man regulated according to the unerring rule of the word, Psalm 119:105.
Q. 22. What does the right manner of reading and hearing of the word teach us?
A. That the bare outward performance of duty will not be acceptable to God, unless the heart is engaged in it, Isa. 29:13. - James Fisher

The Proper Study of Theology

I'd like to commend to you an article in the recently published issue of Themelios titled An Augustinian Mindset by Peter Sanlon. The thrust of the article is that we who study theology should not let our studies be purely academic endeavors rather, we should be embracing in our hearts the theology that we are studying. The author outlines Augustine's thoughts in his De Doctrina Christiana. Perhaps a few quotes will give you an idea of the importance of this and entice you to take a few moments to read and give thought to it:

... De Doctrina Christiana I has its own purpose of immense value to scholars, students, and preachers. This purpose fits with the structure of the work as a whole and meshes with Augustine’s theological outlook. The original contention of this article is that Augustine intended the first chapter of his book to promote a mindset conducive to understanding the Bible. The hermeneutical principles outlined in the following chapters would be worse than useless to the student who did not first foster an appropriate posture and mindset. The work follows a logical order—first develop the mindset appropriate to the reading of the Bible, then learn the principles of interpretation and lastly study how to communicate what has been learnt to others (pg. 40).

We are ourselves torn and divided, our own habits and desires making us wander obsessively away from our home. For some the control exerted through shiny electronic toys distracts from the journey. For some the forgetful ecstasy of sexual relationships enthrals off the path. For some the study and teaching of the Bible itself becomes an arid wind that blows us off course. Whatever the specific means by which we get lost, in every case the result is the same: spiritual, inner blindness. Our "inner eyes are weak and unclean."15 So we find that when we try to study the Bible, it no longer makes sense. Those who fail to approach the Bible with the correct mindset—a due sense of being on a moral journey and being lost—find that their ability to understand fades (pg. 41).

So we find that when we try to study the Bible, it no longer makes sense. Those who fail to approach the Bible with the correct mindset—a due sense of being on a moral journey and being lost—find that their ability to understand fades (pg.41).

A merely intellectual grasp of this journey is however not enough to acquire the Augustinian mindset. It is not sufficient merely to understand the Christian story of sin and salvation. Augustine takes considerable pains in De Doctrina Christiana I to foster a sense of the beauty of Wisdom’s healing journey: "Just as when doctors bind up wounds, they do not do it untidily, but neatly, so that the bandage, as well as being useful, can also to some extent have its proper beauty, in the same sort of way Wisdom adapted her healing art to our wounds by taking on a human being" (pg.43).

In order to read Scripture fruitfully, we need the mindset of conscious existential appreciation of the beauty of God’s gracious journey to us in Jesus 9pg. 44).

The urgent need to foster an Augustinian mindset in our approach to the theological task may be emphasised by considering the horror of people attempting to live out the lessons of the other three chapters of De Doctrina Christiana without the mindset demanded by the first chapter. Imagine scholars adept in handling the Bible as a work of ancient literature, interpreting with academic precision, but lacking the mindset to do so for the reasons God gave us the text: no appreciation for the beauty of Jesus’ saving work, no thirst to know him better, no value judgement passed on intellectually weak rejections of him.... Augustine was surely right to insist that his students develop a healthy mindset for approaching Scripture. We embrace interpretation and persuasion without it at our peril.
Such a mindset will show itself in at least two important areas: love and humility. have seen that our lostness can be mapped as disordered loves, preferring to enjoy that which should be only used and neglecting the great goal of life: the love of God. Often as children of the enlightenment we suffer from a theological tunnel vision. We focus on details and miss the big picture. analyse individual facts apart from the central reference point, rightly ordered love for God and our neighbour (pgs. 44-45).

Essays, books, marks, promotions, languages, and computerised lexicons should not be enjoyed in and of themselves. God created them to be used as means for enjoying Him. If we prematurely foreclose our thoughts by resting happily on the means of academic study, we are in danger of becoming infatuated with the transport. We should be obsessed with getting home to the one we love. Such an obsession will develop a mindset that leads to fruitful theology (pg. 45).

May we all take some time to reflect within ourselves as to what we're accomplishing when reading all these books and ingesting all this knowledge. Are we reading for knowledge sake alone or are we applying the truth to our lives for the glory of our risen Saviour?

Westminster Wednesday #89 Part 2

Continuing from last week...

Q. 8. What else is the word useful for? A. To build up the saints to perfection in Christ; Ephesians 4:11-13. And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man; unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Acts 20:32. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified.
Q. 9. May the common people read the scriptures? A. Yes, it is a duty commanded by Christ; John 5:39. Search the scriptures, &c. And commended by the apostle; Acts 17:11. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Q. 10. Is it their duty or liberty also to preach it? A. No, it is not; for besides abilities for that work, there must be a call; Romans 10:14-15. How shall they hear without a preacher? and how, shall they preach, except they be sent, &c.
Q. 11. What is the first instruction from hence? A. That the enjoyments of the scriptures, and an able, faithful ministry to expound and apply them, is a special mercy to any people; Psalm 147:19-20. He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and judgments unto Israel; he hath not dealt so with any nation; and as or his judgments they have not known them.
Q. 12. What is the second instruction? A. That men cannot expect special and spiritual blessings from God in the wilful neglect of the ordinances; Proverbs 28:9. He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.
Q. 13. What is the third inference? A. That sad is their condition, who sit all their days under the word to no purpose at all; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4. If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine into them.
Q. 14. What is the last inference? A. That Christ’s ordinances and ministers should be most welcome to the people to whom God sends them; Isaiah 52:7. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth. - John Flavel

On Universalism...

One very effective argument to universalism is that of the double payment. If we agree that God is a just God, then he cannot require double payment for sin, i.e., if Christ died on the cross for all men and those who die in their sins spend eternity in hell as puishment for them, then sin is paid for twice. Our God is a just God and does not require this. Hence we see that the Lord died for his elect and not all men. Augustus Toplady portrayed this in one of his hymns when he wrote:

Payment God cannot twice demand

First from my bleeding surety's hand

And then again from mine

Sandlin, Clark, Jordan, Bahnsen & Federal Vision

Sorting out the truth amidst theological controversy is often near impossible. I offer the following from Sandlin at least to clarify some of the issues. For the record I do not embrace the Federal Vision theology and as a, what I would call, Post-Theonomist, I still have sympathies for those who are former theonomists or currently embrace it. Also, as for Justification, I agree wholeheartedly with Sandlin when he states, I embrace the doctrine of justification precisely as it appears in the Westminster Confession of Faith. The exclusive instrumental cause of justification is faith. That faith rests entirely on the redemptive work of Jesus on the Cross and from the empty tomb and grasps hard on Jesus as Savior and Lord. The issue is not sola fide, which Scott and I both heartily affirm, but the nature of saving faith. Scott, like his colleague Mike Horton, has made clear his position that justifying faith is exclusively passive (trusting in and resting on Jesus) and never active (submitting to Jesus as Lord and as his disciple). I affirm that it is both simultaneously (in the distinct senses I have stated), and that a faith that is merely active is moralistic while a faith that is merely passive is antinomian. On this point, I dissent from Clark and Horton and I agree with J. I. Packer ...Read the whole article here.

On-Line Themelios

In case you have not seen this yet, Themelios, a Journal for Pastors and Students of Theological and Religious Studies, is on line - free! Its now under the editorship of Don Carson & I look forward to some excellent reading. I've already consumed Trueman's article & its top notch. Check it out here.

Westminster Wednesday #89 Part 1

Let's continue with our study:

Q. 89. How is the word made effectual to salvation? A. The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching of the word, an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners; and building them up in holiness and comfort, through faith, unto salvation.

Q. 1. What mean you by the word? A. By the word is meant the word of God, consigned to writing in the books of the Old and New Testament; which though it be ministered by men, yet is no other than the very word of God, and as such to be received; 1 Thessalonians 2:13. For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because when ye received the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men; but (as it is in truth) the word of God, &c.
Q. 2. Whence is the efficacy of this word? A. It is wholly from the Spirit of God that it becomes effectual to any man’s salvation; 1 Corinthians 3:6, 7. I have planted, and Apollos watered, but God gave thc increase. So then, neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
Q. 3. Is the reading of the scripture an ordinance of God for men’s salvation ? A. Yes, it is; Deuteronomy 17:19. And it shall be with him, and he shall feed therein all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law, and these statutes to do them. And in reading of it, God sometimes comes in by his Spirit to men's conversion; Acts 8:27-29. And he arose and went, and behold a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, was returning, and sitting in his chariot, read Isaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot, &c.
Q. 4. Is the hearing of the word a means of salvation? A. Yes, it is; Isaiah 55:3. Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live, &c. 1 Corinthians 1:21. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe.
Q. 5. To what end is the word useful to men? A. The first end and use of the word is to convince men of their sin and misery out of Christ; 1 Corinthians 14:24-25. But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all. And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest, &c.
Q. 6. What is it useful for, besides conviction? A. It is useful for conversion, as well as conviction; Psalm 19:7. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul, &c. Acts 26:18. To turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, &c.
Q. 7. Doth the word convince and convert all that hear it? A. No, but those only that are ordained to eternal life; Acts 13:48. As many as were ordained to eternal life believed. - John Flavel

I've recently been reading Carl Trueman's The Wages of Spin (an informative and thoughtful read, by the way, more on that later). Under the title, The Undoing of the Reformation he explains the drift in society (indeed, the world) away from the the written word to the visual. It is now part of our psyche, if you will, to be so visual. The advent of television has much to do with that and thus Trueman carefully weaves the reader through the error of becoming so visual. Starting with the Reformation which coincides with the invention and distribution of the written word the Reformers placed a special emphasis on the word especially Scripture. Remember, the Mass was said in Latin and often in muffled tones leaving the congregation not ever knowing what was spoken and therefore not knowing the importance of worship. The Reformers worked diligently to change that, both in the reading of the Word and also the hearing of the Word in the listener's own language. We are now in a time in history once again where the word is losing to the visual. Hence, the importance of today's q&a. Part 2 next week.

Just a bit of Renegalia

Just a point of clarification: all that stuff you see in the sidebar is not there because I’m desperate to make a buck from the readers of this blog. The links to Amazon are there as reference to books I’ve referred to and/or have read, in full or in part, and found helpful. Should you use the links to buy a book that’s great but this blog IS NOT about making money for me. In fact, I don’t think I’ve made anything from those links although I couldn’t say for sure as I have not even bothered to check for quite sometime. Be assured, the links are purely for reference.

On Worship...

Moreover, it is far more difficult to worship God in spirit than in form. To patter through a dozen Ave Marias or Paternosters is so easy, that I can nearly go to sleep over them: to repeat a form of prayer in the morning and evening is a very small matter, and one can be thinking of the shop all the while; to go to church or chapel so many times a week is a cheap duty, and withal one may still be a thief or a hypocrite; but it is hard, very hard, to bring the heart down to humble penitence, and the soul to holy meditation. The last thing most people will do is think. The noblest part of our nature is still the least exercised. Humbly to tremble before God, to confess sin before him, to believe him, to love him - this is spiritual worship! Because this is so hard men say, "No, no, let me crawl on my knees around a shrine! Let me kneel down before a pyx, let me help to make a cope, or to manufacture some pretty piece of millinery for the priest to wear.Let me go every morning to the steeple hose and come out in a half an hour, and feel I have done my religion." That is quite easy, but the hard part of religion is the part of spiritual worship. - C.H. Spurgeon

Where It's All About You

To close to the truth...

The Funnier Side of John Owen

John Owen had a funny side too, ya know. The following is a portion from Vindiciae Evangelicae and is a satirical catechism in refutation of Socinianism.

Q1. What is God?

A. God is a spirit, that hath a bodily shape, eyes, ears, hands, feet, like to us.

Q2. Where is this God?

A. In a certain place in heaven, upon a throne, where man may see from his right hand to his left.

Q3. Doth he ever move out of that place?

A. I cannot tell what he doth ordinarily, but he hath formerly come down sometimes upon the earth.

Q4. What doth he do there in that place?

A. Among other things, he conjectures at what men will do here below.

Q5. Doth he, then, not know what we do?

A. He doth know what we have done, but not what we will do.

Q6. What frame is he upon his knowledge and conjecture?

A. Sometimes he is afraid, sometimes grieved, sometimes joyful, and sometimes troubled.

Q7. What peace and comfort can I have in committing myself to his providence, if he knows not what will befall me tomorrow?

A. What is that to me? See you to that.

Westminster Wednesday #88

On to number 88....

Ques. What are the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption?
Ans. The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption, are his ordinances, especially the Word, sacraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation.

Q. 1. What do comprehend all the outward and ordinnry means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption?
A. The ordinances of the Lord do comprehend all the outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption.
Q. 2. What are meant by the ordinances of the Lord?
A. By the ordinances of the Lord are meant those means of grace and salvation which are of the Lord's institution, which he hath appointed and commanded in his Word, and no other. "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded yoti."— Matt. 28:20. "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that ye keep the ordinances as I delivered them unto you; for I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you "— 1 Cor. 11:1, 2, 23.
Q. 3. May we not make use of any ordinances which are of men's appointment only, in order to salvation?
A. We ought not to make use of any ordinances which are of men's appointment only, in order unto salvation, because this is will-worship, which is both vain and offensive; and we cannot groundedly expect the blessing of the Lord upon, or to receive any true benefit of any ordinances, but by those alone which are of his own appointment only. "Why are ye subject to ordinances, after the commandments and doctrines of men? which things have a show of wisdom in will-worship," &c.— Col. 2:20, 22, 23. "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."— Matt. 15:9.
Q. 4. Why are the ordinances called the ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption?
A. The ordinances are called the ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption, because the Lord hath not wholly limited and bound up himself unto his ordinances; for he can in an extraordinary way bring some out of a state of nature into a state of grace; as Paul, who was converted by a light and a voice from heaven: but the ordiuances are the most usual way and means of conversion and salvation, without the use of which we cannot, upon good ground, expect that any benefit of redemption should be communicated to us.
Q. 5. What are the chief ordinances of the Lord's appointment?
A. The chief ordinances of the Lord's appointment are the Word, sacraments, and prayer. "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."— Acts 2:42.
Q. 6. To whom are the ordinances made effectual for salvation?
A. The ordinances are made effectual for salvation to the elect only. "And they continued with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread, praising God. And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved."— Acts 2:46, 47. -Thomas Vincent

On Worship...

For we do not worship to be accepted by God, but because we have been accepted. It is not first worship then acceptance; but first acceptance and then worship. Acceptable worship is the worship of an accepted man. -H. Bonar